Chip dispensing cup



FIEE

rlllllll' A. F. MICHELSON CHIP DISPENSING CUP Filed nec. 9, 1963lllllllI y INVENTOR. Almas-r E' M10/aso W ArrokA/srs Feb. 1, 1966 UnitedStates Patent O 3,232,621 CHIP DISPENSING CUP August F. Michelson, 912Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329,119

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-144) The present invention relates generally to anapparatus adapted to randomly dispense chips, dies or tokens from adispensing cup or receptacle, the chips being dispensed in randomsequence along a certain predetermined path, and at certainpredetermined distances, one from another.

In the course of conducting certain games, contests, and the like,contestants are frequently required to randomly select a certainpredetermined chip, die, or the like from a cup, receptacle, containeror the like, and the sequence or pattern in which these chips, dies, orthe like appear may determine the subsequent steps and relative successof the endeavors of the contestant. Nonmally, these chips or dies areplaced within a cup, receptacle or container and thereafter are shakenand mixed, and thrown outwardly from the container. This arrangement issatisfactory when the particular sequence of selection is not pertinent,and when the area of play is suici'ently large so as to permit the chipsor dies to be randomly thrown. In connection with the present invention,the individual contestants are able to dispense one or more chips from apreselected group of chips in random sequence, in random order relativeto the particular side or face being exposed, and in relativelyuniformly spaced relationship, one from the other. The apparatus of thepresent invention accomplishes these objects with a minimum ofcomplexity being built into the apparatus.

Briefly, the chip dispensing apparatus of the present invention includesa receptacle having an open top, and having a chip dispensing portarranged along the lower periphery thereof. A chip dispensing core isprovided within the receptacle, this core being coaxially positionedwithin the receptacle, the outer periphery of the core being disposedannularly inwardly from the inner periphery of the receptacle cup. Aplurality of vanes are arranged radially about the periphery of the coreand in spaced relationship, one to another, the spaces between the vanesbeing arranged to receive a chip therein. The chips, when confined inthe zones between the individual vanes may be delivered through the chipdispensing port arranged in the receptacle. Drive means are provided forrotating the core relative to the receptacle cup. The drive meanscomprises a disc which is arranged coaxially with the receptacle and thecore, and is disposed externally of the cup along the bottom surfacethereof. Friction means are preferably provided along the outerperiphery of the drive means, the friction means being adapted to engagea working surface to cause the relative rotation of the core within thereceptacle. This rotation provides a mechanism for delivering theindividual chips which are disposed in the area between the vanesoutwardly through the delivery port formed in the receptacle wall.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a chipdispensing means which is adapted to randomly deliver a group ofindividual chips, tokens or dice in one-at-a-time randomly selectedsequence.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedchip dispensing means which includes a receptacle for receiving aplurality of chips therewithin, a core within said receptacle havingchip receiving slots therealong, a delivery port arranged along theperiphery of said receptacle, and means for rotating the core so as to-move said chips into position adjacent to said chip dispensing port.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparentto those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification,appended claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a playing surface upon which the chipdispensing apparatus of the present invention is being utilized, andshowing the operation of the chip dispensing apparatus while it is beingmoved across the playing surface by a contestant;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the chip dispensing apparatus of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 4-4 of FIG- URE 3.

In accordance with the preferred modication of the present invention,the chip dispensing apparatus generally designated 10 includes areceptacle or cup 11 along with an internally arranged chip dispensingcore generally designated 12. The chip dispensing core 12 is mountedcoaxially within the cup 11 and isheld adjacent to the bottom wall 13 ofthe cup 11 by means of the shaft 14. The shaft 14 is positionedcoaxially with the cup 11 and the core 12, suitable axial housing means15 being disposed within the cup 11 for guiding and retaining the shaft14 therewithin, In order to securely retain the body 16 of the core 12within the cup 11, the upper end of the shaft 14 is threaded in order toreceive a wing nut or other suitable locking means 18. A pair of washers19 and 20 are arranged on opposite sides of the resilient iexed disc 21,the disc 21, when flexed, providing modest pressure to snug the core 12and force it against the bearing member 23, the amount of this forcedetermining the ease at which the core 12 will rotate about the shaft14. Along the outer periphery of the body 16 of core 12, there arepositioned a plurality of vanes or the like 25-25, these vanesex-tending radially outwardly from the core body 16. The angulardisplacement of the individual vanes is uniform and is adequate toprovide or define a chip receiving por-t or zone 26 between individualadjacent vanes 25-25. Thus, as the individual chips 30, 31 and 32, forexample, are placed within the receptacle 11, they will fall, one-by-oneinto individual chip receiving zones 26-26, one chip being received ineach such zone, and supported on the shoe 36. In order to deliver theindividual chips in oneaby-one sequence from the chip dispensing cup 10,a chip dispensing port 34 is provided along the periphery of the cup 11.The axial disposition of the chip 34 is arranged to match that axialdisposition of the chip receiving zones 21S-26, as the individual chipsare supported by the shoe 36 along the botto-m of the core body 16. Inorder to rotate the core 12 relative to the receptacle body 11, such asis indicated by the arcuate arrows of FIGURE 4, a driving d-ise 38 isprovided under the bottom 13 of the receptacle 11. The drive member ordisc 38 is preferably spaced from the surface of the bottom 13 such asby a washer or the like, thus eliminating a build-up of excessivefrictional forces between the rotating drive disc 38 and the bottomsurface 13 of the receptacle 11. The outer periphery of the drive disc38 is adapted to engage a working surface, and the frictional forcesexisting between the yperiphery of the drive disc 38 and the workingsurface will cause relative rotation of the core within the receptacle.It is preferable that the shaft 14 be keyed, partially flattened, orotherwise mechanically engaged with the core 12 and disc 38. In order tocontrol the ow of chips into the chip receiving zones, a ilange such asthe ange 37 is arranged immediately above the chip dispensing port 34.Thus, as the chips are placed within the con- 3 .iines of the cup 11,they will not be able to gain access to the chip dispensing Zone whichmay happen to be disposed immediately adjacent the chip dispensing port34, the other chip receiving zones being theionly ones available oraccessible to the individual chips.

In operation, the individual chips, tokens, dice, or the like are loadedinto the receptacle 11, the contestant then thoroughly mixing the chipsWithin the chip distribution zone existing between the top of the core12 and the top of the cup 11. Subsequently, the apparatus is placed insubstantially upright position, the individual chips randomly fallinginto the individual accessible chip receiving zones Zai- 26. Theapparatus is then tilted as shown in FIGURE 1, in order thatlthe chipdispensing port be disposed on the underside of the cup 11 and so thatthe friction surface of disc 38 is in contact With the playing surface40. The contestant then moves the cup yalong the working surface along apath such as the path shown by the dotted line 41. During this movement,the disc 38 rotates in the direction shown by the varrows and theindividual chips are dispensed in random sequence from the apparatus asindicated in the illustration of FIGURE 1. These chips are accordinglydistributed in one-byone sequence,v the speciiic order being, of course,

random. Y

While it has been suggested throughout this specification that a ysinglechip, token or die be dispensed on each delivery event, it is, ofcourse, possible that the unit be designed so as to dispense more thanone chip, or the like upon each delivery event.

It will be further appreciated, of course, that the specic embodimentsshown herein are for purposes of ill-us- Vtration only and are not to beotherwise construed as a limitation upon the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is: l

1. Means for dispensing va plurality of game chips in random sequencealong a predetermined path comprising a receptacle having a side Wall,an open top, a closed bottom wall and a chip ydispensing port in saidside wall adjacent said bottom wall, a shaft journalled in said bottomwall, said receptacle further having a cylindrical housing extendingfrom saidbottom Wall a predetermined distance inwardly of saidreceptacle, said shaft being journaled coaxially in said housing, a chipdispensing core within said'receptacle, iixed to said shaft and havingmeans thereon for delivering chips sequentially to said dispensing portupon rotation of said shaft, and a drive disc lcoaxial with Vand fixedto said shaft externally of said receptacle, said disc having frictionmeans on the periphery thereof, whereby translation of said 4receptaclealong said predetermined path with said friction means in contact with aplaying surface will cause relative rotation of said core and saidreceptacle.

2. Chip dispensingmeans as recited in claim 1 Wherein a light spring ,isprovided which acts between said core Vand said shaft to bias saidshaftinwardly of said receptacle to draw said disc lightly against saidbottom Wall.

References Cited by Vthe Examiner UNrTEiJ STATES PATENTS 1,929,78810/,1933 Myers.y et a1. y 2,580,096 12/1951 Hon et a1. 22u-263x2,881,960 4/1959 nadine 221-263 2,979,230 4/ 1961 Calverley 2737144RICHAiD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examifir. A. W. KRAMER, AssistantExii/Liner.

1. MEANS FOR DISPENSING A PLURALITY OF GAME CHIPS IN RANDOM SEQUENCEALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING A SIDE WALL,AN OPEN TOP, A CLOSED BOTTOM WALL AND A CHIP DISPENSING PORT IN SAIDSIDE WALL ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM WALL, A SHAFT JOURNALLED IN SAID BOTTOMWALL, SAID RECEPTACLE FURTHER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING EXTENDINGFROM SAID BOTTOM WALL A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE INWARDLY OF SAIDRECEPTACLE, SAID SHAFT BEING JOURNALED COAXIALLY IN SAID HOUSING, A CHIPDISPENSING CORE WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE, FIXED TO SAID SHAFT AND HAVINGMEANS THEREON FOR DELIVERING CHIPS SEQUENTIALLY TO SAID DISPENSING PORTUPON ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT AND A DRIVE DISC COAXIAL WITH AND FIXED TOSAID SHAFT, AND A DRIVE RECEPTACLE, SAID DISC HAVING FRICTION MEANS ONTHE PERIPHERY THEREOF, WHEREBY TRANSLATION OF SAID RECEPTACLE ALONG SAIDPREDETERMINED PATH WITH SAID FRICTION MEANS IN CONTACT WITH A PLAYINGSURFACE WILL CAUSE RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID CORE AND SAID RECEPTACLE.